Oviposition preference and larval performance of sugarcane borer, Diatraea saccharalis on rice

Rice is grown over an area of approximately 529,000 acres in Louisiana. The stem borer complex attacking rice in the Southern U.S includes stalk borer Chilo plejadellus, sugarcane borer, Diatraea saccharalis and the Mexican rice borer, Eoreuma loftini (Dyar). With the increasing impact of stem borers, an urgent need exists to develop management strategies for stem borers. Currently, no IPM program is in place for stem borers in Louisiana. The objective of this study was to characterize variation in resistance among different rice cultivars and to investigate the preference-performance relationship. Greenhouse and lab experiments were conducted to assess the performance of sugarcane borer on different rice cultivars.  Three different measures of performance were used. There were significant differences among varieties for these measures of performance. Greenhouse studies conducted to investigate the oviposition preference of sugarcane borer on eight different rice cultivars (used in performance studies) also revealed  significant differences for oviposition preference. Results revealed a strong correlation between performance and preference and among different measures of performance. This study suggest that there is a potential for use of these varieties in the current management program and as a source of resistance in breeding programs for stem borer resistance.